Electric switch



Aug. 22, 1.933.

H. O, ENGSTROM ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Jan. 8, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l J7. fa

L i M T;

| l! @ifm INVENTOR Henry aEngstrom. 782% ATTORNEY llg- 22, 1933 H. o. ENGsTRoM 1,923,428

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Jan. 8, 1952 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Henry aEngstrom.

. ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 22, 1933 ELECTRIC SWITCH Henry 0. Engstrom, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to The Bridgeport Switch Company, Bridge-l port, Conn., a Corporation of Connecticut Application January 8, 1932. Serial No. 585,437 4 claims. (c1. 20o-1&2)

This invention relates to electric switches, and more particularly to a lever operated toggle switch.

One object of this invention is to provide a switch of the above nature having a novel form of movable contact rocker member for opening and closing the circuit.

A further object of this invention is to provide a toggle switch of the above nature having a manually` operated lever button of molded material for actuating the rocker member, said lever button having an insert of brous insulating material embedded therein to avoid danger of shock to the operator in case the end of the lever button should become broken.

A further object is to provide a switch of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there have been illustrated on the accompanying drawings, several forms in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view ofa single pole toggle switch embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 isa perspective view of the rocker member.

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of a double-pole switch construction.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View of a combined double contactor blade and rocker member w made from a single piece of sheet metal.

Fig. 7 is a development plan view of the metal blank from which the contactor blade and rocker member as shown in Fig. 6 is adapted to be formed.

J Fig. 8 is a view in front elevation of the switch lever button.

Fig. 9 is an end view of the same.

Fig. l0 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, taken along the line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the switch button with its upper end broken off .showing the end of the insulating insert.

Fig. l2 is a fragmentary View of a modified form of insert member.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates a substantially rectangular casing or block of insulating material, such as porcelain. The casing 10 is provided with a T-shaped vertical recess l1 within which the stepped base 12 of a switch lever button 13 is adapted to be rocked upon a pvot pin 14 by manipulation of an upwardly extending handle 15 formed integral with said stepped base 12.

The switch lever button 13 is provided with a depending insulating cross-shaped insert 15a preferably of strong fibrous material of heavy gauge. The upper portion'of said insert 15a is securely embedded within the molded material of the lever button 13 during the process of manufacture thereof, and has a depending yoke 15b for engaging the spring to be described later.

Located between the T-shaped recess 11 and one side of the casing 10, provision is made of a narrow elongated recess 16 separated from said T-shaped recess 11 by a partition 17. Beyond the opposite ends of the narrow recess 16 the upper surface of the casing l0 is provided with end seats 18 and 19 for the reception of a pair of angular stationary Contact members 20 and 21 having screw binding posts 22 and 23, said contact members being secured on said seats 18 and 19 by means of small screws 24 extending up through the casing 10. The left-hand stationary contact member 20, as viewed in Fig. 3 is provided with an upwardly offset downwardly inclined contact portion 25 which projects longitudinally into the narrow recess 16 at the top thereof. The right-hand stationary contact member 21 is provided with a downwardly offset upwardly inclined extension 26 which projects into the other end of the narrow recess 16 at the bottom thereof.

The stationary contact members 20 and 21 are adapted to be electrically connected by means of a metallic rocker member 27, preferably constructed from three flat metal blanks permanently joined by a pair of eyelet rivets 27a into the shape shown in Fig. 4. The rocker member 27 has a U-shaped depending section 28 provided with an upwardly extending rounded spring seat 29. The rocker member 27 is provided with a pair of outwardlyextending sections 30 and 31 which are adapted to rest in a pair of V-shaped slots 17a formed in the top of the partition 17 and the opposite side wall of the casing 10 respectively. The pivot section 31 is integrally connected to a pair of opposed longitudinal bifurcated contact clips 33 and 34 which are adapted to frictionally embrace the stationary contacts 25 and 26 mentioned above.

In order to cause the movable contact clips 33 and 34 to snap suddenly into off and on position, provision is made of a coiled compression spring 35, one end of which is adapted to rest on the seat 29 of the rocker member 27, the other end of said spring pressing against the yoke 15b of the insert 15a of the lever button 13.

To hold the parts of the switch in assembled position, provision is made of a yoke or bridge 36 adapted to be attached to the top of the casing 10 by means of a pair of screws 37 extending upwardly through said casing 10 from the bottom thereof, as shown in Fig. 2. The yoke member 36 has a central rectangular opening 38 for loosely fitting about the upper part of the lever button 13, and also has a pair of apertured end ears 37a for attaching the switch to an outlet box not shown.

A pair of depending apertured lugs 39 and 40 are provided on the side edges of said opening 38 of the yoke member 36 for supporting the transverse pivot pin 14.

The lever button 13 is provided with an in- Verted V-shaped side slot 4l for fitting about said pivot pin 14, said slot being formed during the molding of said button.

Operation In the operation of the switch it will only be necessary to manually throw the lever button 13 back and forth in the opening 38 of the yoke member 36, which action will compress the spring 35 and cause the rocker member 27 to suddenly snap the movable contact clips 33 and 34 in the desired directions into or out of electrical engagement with the stationary contacts 25 and 26 for making or breaking the circuit as the case may be.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive, a two-pole switch is disclosed which is similar in all respects to the singlepole switch shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, except that the rocker member 27 has two pairs of clips 42 and 43 for cooperating with two pairs of angular stationary contacts 44 and 45 located at the opposite ends of a pair of narrow recesses 46 and 47, respectively. If desired, the double blade construction shown in Figs. 5 and 7 may be made by bending from a single metal blank 48, as shown in Fig. 7. Also, the single blade construction shown in Fig. 4 may in a similar manner be made from a single metal blank.

It will be understood that the insert member 15a may, if desired, havea circular apertured lower extremity for connection to the coiled spring 35, instead of the open yoke 15b as described above. (See Fig. 12).

An important advantage of the present invention is that if the end of the molded lever button 13 should accidentally be broken off in the manner asv shown in Fig. 11, the exposed upper end of the insert will not be electrically alive, as was the case with former toggle switch lever buttons employing metal inserts.

While there have been disclosed in this specification several forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specic disclosures but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In an operating handle for a toggle switch, an outer body member of relatively frangible insulating material, and a reinforcing insulating insert embedded in the interior of said body member, said insert having a non-metallic connection with the toggle mechanism of said switch.

2. In an operating handle for a toggle switch, an outer body member of molded insulating material, and a reinforcing insulating insert embedded in the interior of said body member, said insert having a non-metallic connection with the toggle mechanism of said switch.

3. In an operating handle for a toggle switch, an outer body member of insulating material, and a cross-shaped reinforcing insulating insert embedded in the interior of said body member, the depending arm of said insert having a nonmetallic connection with the toggle mechanism of said switch.

4. In an operating handle for a toggle switch,v

an outer body member of relatively frangible insulating material, and a reinforcing insulating insert embedded in the interior of said body member, said insert having a non-metallic connection with the toggle mechanism of said switch, said insert being composed of strong fibrous material.

HENRY 0. ENGSTROM. 

